After the first week, the ductless heat pump and I became so close that could never even think of her as ugly. But some folks don't like the look.

In an analogy to current medical practice, the mini-split heat pump is fabulous but the side effects are minimal for some people. In those cases, we have a cure for the side effect, the LED sandwich light that mesmerizes the eyes softly and makes heat ugly pumps disappear right before your very eyes.…

If you have not been asked to complete a duct test by your local Massachusetts Inspector, it is just a matter of time before you are surprised by this stringent/updated code requirement. Despite some push-back from Contractors and Inspectors, all of MA is required to test new or altered duct systems. All of MA adopted the 2012 International Energy…

Perhaps one of the less well known, but dearly loved, is the tradition of Raters sharing stories about their own homes.

This year we are excited to have Jeremy Draper, who will tell his unique story of building his first home using as much recycled or re-used materials as possible. He is nothing short of a Craiglist master.…

Or is there? This saying is an old adage in our industry to let the technician know that the refirgerant charge is "all set". You see, there must be a steady stream of liquid to the metering device for it to function properly. For sake of conversation, let's use the TXV. In order for most TXV's to throttle and correctly maintain the desired Superheat, there must be a minimum of 2F of subcooled liquid at the valve (not where it is measured, near the condenser). If the liquid were to flash off… Continue

Hi there, I'm new here. Not sure if this make sense here. But for sure, you will tell if it's not.

I'm Portuguese, I've 47 years old, 3 children, and spent the last 3,5 years of my life on a project I've called Casa Automatica.

The project started by being just an home control system, where I've tried to combined some security features, water control and home network, in a package, using and sharing an internet connection. The system is presented here…

You took a class, or read a book, got BPI or HERS Rater certified, or just bought some diagnostic equipment. Your company was heading in the right direction in the beginning, but NOW WHAT? Earning certifications and owning diagnostic tools is a step in the right direction, but it’s only a step… the real power of your home performance focus is in practicing what you preach with testing on every job, and using it to…

On August 4th, the Building Performance Institute (BPI) announced a new certification focused specifically on blower door and duct blaster concepts. The announcement came during a monthly meeting for approved BPI Test Centers. The official announcement is slated to come soon. BPI Infiltration and Duct Leakage, or BPI IDL for short, will be a standalone certification that emphasizes proper handling of energy auditing equipment - and you heard it here…

As part of Home Energy’s 30th birthday celebration, we are pleased to reprint a 1994 article by Michael Uniacke describing the way he taught building science in a community college (see the article here). Mastering the intricacies of the building science related to energy performance is no…